Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-06-02
ClvIL-SERvlCE REFORM.

One of tho Reasons why the Democratic
Party Ii Entitled to the Support OF In
dependent Voters.
President Cleveland's brief address
at the unvailing of the Garfield statue
in Washington fifty and forcibly en-
forced the "sad and distressing lesson
of his predecessors death. "While, !"
he said, American citizenship stands
aghast and affrighted that murder and
assassination should Turk in the midst
of a free people and strike down the
head of their Government, a fearless
search and the discovery of the origin
and hiding-place of these hateful and
unnatural things should be followed by
a solemn resolve to purge for ever from
our political methods and from the
operation of our Government the per-
versions and misconceptions which
gave birth to passionate and bloody
thoughts. If from this hour" the
President concluded, ''our admiration
for the bravery and nobility of Amerj~
can manhood and our faith in the pos
sibilities and opportunities of American
citizenship be renewed; if our appre-
citation of the blessing of restored
Union and love for our Government be
strengthened, and if our watchfulness
against the dangers of mad chase
after partisan spoils be quickened, the
dedication of this statue to the people
of the United States will not be in
vain.
The occasion suggests contrast be-
tween the situation as regards the civil
service in 1881 and that in 1887. In
his second annual message to Congress.
December 5, 1870, President Grant rec
commended ''a reform in the civil ser
vice of the country" which should
s'govern not the tenure, but the man
| ner of making all appointments. J" In
March, 1871, an amendment was
tackled on to an appropriation bill in
the Senate authorizing the President
| to prescribe '.such rules and regula-
tions for the admission of persons into
the civil service of the United States
as will best promote the efficiency
thereof, and ascertain the fitness OF
each candidate in respect to age.
health, character, knowledge and ability
for the branch of the service into which
he seeks to enter;' and also authoriz-
ing him to employ suitable persons to
conduct these inquiries. A Civil-Ser-
vice Commission was appointed, and
rules were established for the filing
of vacancies by competitive examina-
tions, which were put in force during
the summer of 1872. The new system
speedily demonstrated its advantages
over the old, and in his annual mes
sage, December l, 1873, President
Grant urged its extension. pointing out
that ito have any rules effective, they
must have the acquiescence Of Con-
gress as well as of the Executive. -
The Forty-third Congress was Repub-
!ican in each branch, more than two to
one, but the party managers had NO
sympathy with the reform, and they
proceeded to starve it to death. Mr..
Blaine, as Speaker, appointed com.
mittee on Civil-Service reform, OF
which that unblushing spokesman, Gen
eral Butler, was the leading spirit, and
under the lead of Blaine and Butler, 8
House Republican. by 1876 to 90, re-
fused to make any appropriation fol
the support of the Commission in 1874
and the system soon after expired o
hamilton.
General Grant made no further at
tempt to push the reform. Genera
Garfield's first step was a step back
ward. He chose as his chief advise
the man who as Speaker had beef
chiefly responsible for the smotherin,